A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER

The Ferree household is always an adventure come Christmas morning.  There are always 40-50 people ranging from age 78 down to the newest addition to the family.  Then there are always girlfriends, boyfriends, and just friends coming to join for the food and fellowship. 

We begin Christmas morning as everyone gathers in the kitchen with appetizers homemade especially for this day...cheese and crackers, seafood dip, beef log, stuffed mushrooms, hash brown casserole, meatballs and little hot dogs in a new sauce all a part of our waiting for everyone to arrive.  We gather in the kitchen and eat while others heat the last dish for dinner or bake the last pie or of course, cook Mom's wonderful homemade noodles. As Ferree's, we fellowship best around the table!

Next, we have our traditional family picture that includes all family and guests for this year as we gather outside in 25-30 degree weather for 10 minutes while our remote control camera quickly snaps pictures hopefully with everyone's eyes open and faces turned toward the camera with a big smile.

For about 15 minutes it is absolute chaos as we give gifts to big kids and small kids alike with smiles, shouts, thank you and do you have another one for me? 

Then there is the rush to the kitchen for a meal that we talk about for days and never forget from one year to another.  There is always turkey, ham, scalloped oysters, dressing, potatoes, cole slaw, scalloped corn, green beans, broccoli casserole, deviled eggs, Mom's famous homemade noodles, and whatever the new recipe is for this year.  Then we are off to dessert, apple pie, pecan pie, Shelly's traditional ice cream dessert that goes first every year and never a Christmas without my Mom's delicious banana cake. 

Now, too much food and we move to the living room to discuss how great that meal was, how much we love our new gift....and the secret behind it all...how much we love all being together for Christmas!

We could do without the gifts or the picture or the food....but we must be together for Christmas.

Becky